Diagnose the fundamental flaw in Dr. Miller's initial study design based on the conditions for non-experimental research. How must he alter his approach to investigate this potential causal relationship?
Case context: Dr. Miller is designing a study to answer the following research question: Does damage to a person's hippocampus impair the formation of long-term memory traces? Initially, he considers designing a true experiment where he randomly assigns half of his healthy participants to receive a minor surgical lesion to their hippocampus, while the other half receives a placebo surgery.
Question: Diagnose the fundamental flaw in Dr. Miller's initial study design based on the conditions for non-experimental research. How must he alter his approach to investigate this potential causal relationship?
Sample answer: Dr. Miller's initial design involves a severe ethical barrier; it is highly unethical to intentionally manipulate the independent variable by causing brain damage to healthy participants. Because he cannot deliberately alter these conditions, he must use a non-experimental design and rely on observing naturally occurring differences, such as recruiting patients who already have pre-existing hippocampus damage and comparing them to those who do not.
Key points:
- Identification of an ethical barrier
- Recognition that the independent variable (hippocampus damage) cannot be deliberately manipulated
- Requirement to shift to a non-experimental design
- Need to observe pre-existing, naturally occurring differences
Rubric: A correct response must demonstrate comprehension by identifying the ethical constraint preventing the deliberate manipulation of the hippocampus. It must also correctly explain that the researcher must shift to observing pre-existing, naturally occurring differences in hippocampus damage.
0
1
Tags
KPU
Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
Related
Example of Practical or Ethical Constraints Requiring Non-Experimental Research: Hippocampus Damage
Under what condition is a researcher required to use a non-experimental design to investigate a potential causal relationship?
In psychological research, certain barriers prevent researchers from using experimental methods even when investigating causal questions. Match each description with the concept that explains why or how a non-experimental design is used.
A researcher wants to study the long-term effects of heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy on a child's cognitive development. Because it is unethical to deliberately assign pregnant women to drink alcohol for research purposes, the researcher must use a non-experimental design to compare children whose mothers chose to drink with those who did not.
A researcher is investigating whether long-term social isolation causes cognitive decline in the elderly. Arrange the steps of the researcher's analysis to determine why a non-experimental design must be used for this causal investigation.
When practical or ethical barriers prevent the manipulation of an independent variable, researchers must rely on the observation of pre-existing, naturally occurring differences.
In a scenario where a researcher wishes to study a causal relationship but finds that manipulating the independent variable is prohibited by ethical standards, what characterizes the resulting non-experimental approach?
In evaluating the design for a study on the long-term cognitive effects of witnessing domestic violence in childhood, a researcher concludes that a non-experimental design is the only viable option. This decision is based on the assessment that the _____ of the independent variable is prohibited by ethical standards, making a true experiment impossible.
Match each hypothetical research scenario with the appropriate methodological concept or constraint based on the conditions for non-experimental research.
A researcher is studying the potential causal relationship between localized brain damage and memory loss. Because they cannot ethically damage participants' brains, they must analyze this phenomenon by relying on the observation of _____ differences.
Evaluate the research scenario of investigating whether childhood lead exposure causes learning disabilities, and order the steps the researcher must take to justify and implement a non-experimental design.
Identify and describe the primary types of barriers that require a researcher to use a non-experimental design, even when their research addresses a potential causal relationship. According to the conditions of non-experimental research, what must the researcher rely on instead of deliberate manipulation?
Diagnose the fundamental flaw in Dr. Miller's initial study design based on the conditions for non-experimental research. How must he alter his approach to investigate this potential causal relationship?
A developmental psychologist wants to investigate whether growing up in extreme poverty causes lower academic achievement. In one to three sentences, explain how the psychologist can apply a non-experimental design to study this causal question when practical and ethical constraints are present.